Tune In

I co-pastor a church with my husband and a question we hear probably the most often is, "How do you hear God's voice?" I think it is a very common struggle for most Christians at one time or another in their lives. I also think that it is one of the most important and life changing things that we can learn to do-hear God speaking to us.

A few weeks ago I remember God speaking to me very clearly. I was driving into town and had come to a busy highway where I had to turn left and cross two lanes of traffic. I had been sitting there for what seemed like a long time and began to get impatient. Can anyone else relate? Finally, a car that was in the right hand lane gave a turn signal indicating they would turn right where I was waiting to pull out. So, I started to pull out. I got as far as part way in to the right hand lane when I heard God say to me on the inside, "STOP!!" Just then a car speeding by at 65 mph zoomed in front of me in the left hand lane. God could see what I couldn't and preserved my life that day! I am so thankful that I knew what the voice of God sounded like and that I obeyed!

Maybe you won't ever be in a life or death situation where hearing and obeying God's voice will save your life. BUT, what I do know is that we all need to hear from Him. We need to hear from Him about relationships, "Should I marry this person?" Or "God, my children are heading down the wrong path, how do I reach them?" Did you know that God even cares about decisions like what car we purchase? Yes! He absolutely does! God knows everything and He knows if the car you are about to purchase is a good car or a lemon that will drain you of your resources of money and time.

Remember back in the "olden days" before cars had digital tuning for the radio? You had to turn a dial instead in order to be able to listen to your favorite radio station. And as you were tuning and almost to the right frequency, you would begin to hear bits and pieces of what was being said or played. But, if you weren't on the exact spot of that frequency, you had to fine tune your dial in order to pick it up clearly. See, hearing God's voice is the same way. If we aren't hearing Him clearly, or not at all, we need to adjust our receiver, or the dial. He is speaking to us, we just need to tune in!!

It's not hard at all, we just may need to adjust some things in our lives.

John 10:3-5 - "The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."

You see, it is in those sheep to hear their shepherd's voice. They were created to hear his voice, they don't struggle with hearing it. Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture. We should EXPECT to hear His voice if we belong to Him. If we aren't hearing Him then we need to take a look at maybe why we aren't.

First of all, we have to BELONG to Jesus. If our lives aren't fully surrendered to Him, then He isn't our Shepherd and we won't recognize His voice.

Once we belong to Him, one way He speaks to us is through His word, the Bible. Since His word is one way He speaks to us, we need to know what it says! God gives some instruction to Joshua about this, and it would do us well to listen to what God told Joshua.

Joshua 1:8 - "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."

The word "meditate" is translated from the Hebrew as "murmur" or "mutter." It literally means to say it with our mouths out loud. There is something about saying it, muttering it, that helps to get it down on the inside of us. Romans 10:8 says, "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart." It needs to be both places! Psalm 119:11 says that we are to hide God's word in our hearts so that we don't sin against Him. We can only meditate on and hide God's word in our hearts by memorizing His word. I'll be honest, it is work! But I promise you will never regret one moment you spend memorizing His word, hiding it in your heart and muttering it to yourself. It is one of the keys to hearing His voice! Begin by memorizing one scripture and then add others on to that. Pretty soon, you will be quoting the word of God left and right! I like to put up scriptures around the house, on the bathroom mirror, by where I do the dishes or cook in the kitchen. Translated - where we ladies spend the most time ;0) That way I can read the Word and hide it in my heart while doing mindless tasks. Gotta do them anyway, might as well be putting the Word on the inside of us at the same time!

I read about a way to help your children do this as well. As a family, put one scripture up all over the house, maybe on 3x5 cards, wherever you and your kids spend a lot of time. For my family, that would be the bathroom, kitchen, and dining room-where we do our homeschooling. Then once everyone has memorized that one scripture passage, change it out for another one. We are going to begin with scriptures that pertain to areas of our lives that need adjusting and growing in godly character. That is what will bring about true change in our lives.

Then we must obey His word, every time. I don't know about you, but I want all I do to prosper and succeed! Remember Joshua 1:8? In the hard things and in the not so hard things, we must obey, every time. I don't like the obeying part in the hard things, and believe me, He will ask us to obey in the hard things. But when we do, He can truly bless our lives.

The other way that God speaks to us is through the inward witness.

Romans 8:14 - "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God."

We can be led by God's Spirit! It is awesome to me to think that when I give my life to God, that His Holy Spirit comes to live on the inside of me! The Almighty Creator of the universe makes His home on the inside of us when we are His children! Some people have told me that when they think God might be speaking to them that it just sounds like them, like their own voice. And I would say a resounding, "Yes!!" What happens is that God's Holy Spirit on the inside of us speaks to our spirit, the part of us that lives forever-the person that we really are. So, it will sound like you, because it IS you-your spirit speaking!

Nothing that God ever tells us through the inward witness will ever go against His written word. That is why it is so important to know what His word says. It is so vital to hear God through the inward witness. It is how we receive specific instructions for our lives. When I was seeking the Lord on whom to marry, I couldn't just open up the Bible and expect to see the words, "Kim, marry Tom, this is my will for your life." No! It's not there. But I knew that I knew through the inward witness that God was leading me to marry Tom. And we are getting ready to celebrate 20 years of marriage this March! It has been 20 wonderful years! I am so glad I knew to listen to that inward witness.

We have had people tell us, "I really think that God is telling me to marry this person." Then our first question to them is, "Does he/she love the Lord?" If they say, "Well, no..." Then we have to speak the truth to them in love and tell them that at this point in time, that it is not God's will for them. Why? Because God will never lead us to do something that goes against His written word. He tells us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14). Now, maybe AFTER that person surrenders their life to God and has been following Him consistently for a LONG while, then and only then should they consider marriage with him/her.

As we begin this journey of listening to and hearing God's voice, He will begin to speak to us about little things-the little things in our lives or our families. Most times, that is the place where He will begin to speak to us. It is a safe place. There is not much "risk" to it if we happen to not get it right. The biggest mistake we could make is to never step out and do what He speaks to us. God hasn't given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. The Holy Spirit will teach us (John 14:26). He will bring us along one step at a time. As we obey the written word of God, in all things, our ability to be led by the Spirit of God through the inward witness becomes sharper and clearer. Get to know His voice by spending time with Him, in prayer, in worship, in the Word. Then as we recognize His voice just like we do the voice of our best friend and we are quick to obey, He will begin to speak to us about weightier things. He may even ask you to speak into the lives of others to be a blessing to them. Will we make mistakes? Yes! And that is okay too. I have made mistakes and I have lived through to tell about them. But, oh the joy of hearing my Lord speak to me; there is nothing else like it! So, be encouraged, tune in, and expect to hear the voice of God speaking to you!

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The Ultimate Comforter

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of going shopping with a dear friend and spending a few hours just having fun. One of my "shopping goals" was to find a new comforter set for my bedroom. After browsing a few stores I found a beautiful set in burnt orange, cream and brown with what looked like an Asian inspired stitching of trees and leaves. The store was out of stock in the size I needed, so I ordered it to be delivered to the house a few days later. My husband called me at work to let me know the day it arrived and that evening I came home and had some fun pulling out all the decorative pillows and shams, etc. that came with the set. It was a perfect fit for our room. Mission accomplished!

It wasn't very cold back when I first bought the set, so I mainly enjoyed it for the vibrant colors it added to the room. Now as winter has finally blown into eastern North Carolina, that comforter and I have become the best of friends for more important reasons! As the temperature continues to drop, I know that comforter is there waiting for me to jump into bed and snuggle down underneath and it will tuck me away from the drafts that try to invade even the most well insulated homes at night. While I appreciate it's beauty, it is really the warmth and protection from the night air that bring real meaning to it's name of "comforter."

Most everyone has experienced what we could call "dark" times in our lives when it seems circumstances around us have turned cold. Knowing Christ does not exempt us from dealing with the tests and trials of life. Scripture is clear that we will experience these things, but it comes with a precious promise of victory!

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Jesus encourages us to keep our chin up and our joy active because He has already overcome and made us overcomers along with Himself. One way that He did this was by being sure that when He left the earth, we would not be left alone. It had to be a hard pill for the disciples to swallow to know Jesus was going to be taken away from them to return to Heaven to the Father. He was the miracle worker, the one who calmed the winds and the waves when the storms rose up. What were they going to do? Who would they turn to now that the Master was going away? I am so glad you asked!

In John 14:16 Jesus let them know that no matter what, they would never be alone. "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever."

Who is this Comforter Jesus spoke of? He is the marvelous Holy Spirit - the third person of the Godhead on assignment to assist the believer in their walk here on the earth. Even though this world is not our home and we are not "of the world", because we are in it there are times when the "night air" of the darkness around us will try to invade our hearts and bring fear along with it.

In December I went to a movie theater alone with my husband for the first time in years on a date night. As we were entering the theater where our movie was showing I suddenly began to feel uneasy as thoughts of a tragic shooting that took place in a movie theater in Colorado a few months ago began to float through my mind. I found myself looking around at others in the theater to see if anyone looked suspicious, and in an instant a battle in my mind had begun. In that moment I had a choice to make - stay out in the cold night air of darkness or jump in under the Comforter, the Holy Ghost! As quickly as the thoughts came, I began to cast them down and intentionally yield to the "peace that passes understanding" that can only be found in the Spirit of God. Within just a couple of minutes, the warmth and glory of God filled my heart and mind and I went on to enjoy my night out with no thought at all of fear or distress.

My friends, we live in what the Bible calls "perilous times." It doesn't matter what country you live in, how much money you have, or what your title or position is - we are confronted daily with the works of the enemy in the world around us. Now more than ever we must wrap ourselves tightly in the Word and the comfort of the Holy Spirit and trust God like never before.

If your find yourself dealing with a "cold draft" of fear or doubt in your mind, I encourage you to take comfort in the powerful words of Psalm 91. These are words that I personalize and confess on a regular basis in the first person - something like this:

Psalm 91

1 I dwell in the shelter of the Most High
and rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save my family and I
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He covers me with his feathers,
and under his wings I find refuge;
his faithfulness is my shield and rampart.
5 I will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at our side,
ten thousand at our right hand,
but it will not come near us.
8 We will only observe with our eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 I say, “The Lord is our refuge,”
and we make the Most High our dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake us,
no disaster will come near our tent (home).
11 For he has commanded his angels concerning us
to guard us in all your ways;
12 they will lift us up in their hands,
so that we will not strike our foot against a stone.
13 We tread on the lion and the cobra;
we will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

Wow!!! To me this Scripture is the perfect way to jump in under the Comforter of the Holy Spirit. As I confess these Words, He bears witness to them in my heart and every doubt and fear leave as the faith of God rises up and dispels the darkness. Rejoice my friend - no matter what happens in the world around us - we have overcome the world through Christ! Don't allow the "night air" to overtake you - become best friends with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to be to you what He is to me and so many others - The Ultimate Comforter!

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Such As I Have, Give I Thee by Alexandra Fleege

Such As I Have Give I Thee

We have been living in France for the past 2 years, and when Tony and I decided to move here my main concern was how I going to bring up my kids in a country I know very little about? I was homeschooling at the time and really enjoyed the homeschool community and activities and life etc..... Then I realized it's not really what comes from without that your children grasp most, its what comes from within. That they actually become more of who you are, the 2.0 upgraded version. If you love the word of God they will, if you praise the Lord they will, if you love clothes (probably applies more to girls:) she will also. I call her my little fashionista now because her love for style has grown from wanting to put doll outfits together to actually taking a couture class in school and making a beautiful skirt that I would love to wear. What is important to you becomes important to them, even things that are unsaid. The process of osmosis in some things really does happen with children in some areas. My daughters dream is to take a trip around the world with her cousin Max when they are in their twenties, and for the most part I believe it will happen. If you are happy and content, they will be also, you transmit something to them, simply by being with them, and a lot of it unspoken. They know when you are sad, when your hurt, when you are happy or want to laugh at something but not to tell them what it is, what Peter and John said to the blind man at the temple those words hold so true- such as I have I give. I can’t really teach my daughter a love for cooking, when people ask me if I like to cook, for the most part I respond with the answer well Tony likes to eat:) I find what I esteem and hold as important and valuable , they are starting to do the same thing and especially my daughter, Juliana. She loves having fun,animals, funny things etc Jonathan loves music, all kinds of music, its happening. One of Juliana’s favorite things is to sit down and ask me all sorts of questions about the end times, the rapture of the church ,the second coming of Jesus , the antichrist etc.... At first I thought is she just trying to please me? but it has happened enough to where I realize that this is actually something she is very curious about. I use to look around at other mom’s and really feel like I did not measure up. There are so many things I have never done in terms of being a home maker, I have never made a pie much less anything with pumpkin in it, as I was looking at all the delicious recipes on this site it dawned on me, I don’t for the most part even eat pumpkin pie but I know Tony loves it, and someone actually gave me a pumpkin this year so I thought I would at least try a friend’s recipe for pumpkin bars (thanks Mary;) But on the other hand my son Jonathan’s favorite food is Japanese and Juliana loves Brazilian food and will actually turn on channels in portuguese just to listen to portuguese. I don’t really have many traditions for any holidays, Tony is gone right now in America and will be until December, he is the pumpkin pie guy: but as I am navigating through this journey of motherhood I really believe God entrusts each child to the parent that He knows they need. So I decided that as for the day that we actually set apart to give thanks, known as thanksgiving we will watch a movie or a play about pilgrims who came to what was then known as the new world in search of religious freedom, and that this will be something that may be we can do throughout the years- love the story of Squanto, how he helped the pilgrims survive and learn to plant and to hunt, and that those pilgrims that actually survived the first winter instead of sadness for those who were lost set 3 days apart for giving thanks that God had brought them to the new world and for he bounty that he blessed them with. So while I will not be getting any awards from Betty Crocker, I am thankful for what I have and what I can give, and for the opportunity to impart into these two little precious eternal beings such as I have, and in the wise words of Madame Blueberry (veggietales star:) We have sung the thankfulness song many many times to stay complaining and murmuring and any other downer attitude, a thankful heart really is a happy heart here are the words to the chorus: Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! I'm glad for what I have, That's an easy way to start! For the love that He shares, 'Cuz He listens to my prayers, That's why I give thanks everyday!

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Strength Will Rise As We Wait - Really?

Yes....those were my sentiments as we sang those lyrics Sunday in church.  

  Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord, 
                as we wait upon the Lord, 
                as we wait upon the Lord!

Let me tell you, I have been waiting...a LONG time for some things the Lord spoke to me.  And I felt anything but strong as I walked into that church.  Frustrated, irritated, and discouraged were much better descriptors for me.  

So as praise and worship started and this song, "Everlasting God" was led, and we sang these lyrics, I knew something was not right in my heart.  If strength was supposed to come in the wait, I had missed it....BIG time.  

I went home and begun my research.  What did the Bible say about being strong in the wait?  Here's what I found:

     Isaiah 40:31 - "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall 
     mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and 
     not faint."

There it is - doesn't get much clearer than that....those who wait shall renew their strength.  Why then, do we become weary in the wait?  As I dug in more, I came to understand that weariness and frustration comes when we begin to do things in our own strength.  

    Isaiah 30:15 - "For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: 'In returning and 
    rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.'  
    But you would not." [emphasis mine]

In this scripture, God is telling Judah how it could have worked.  If they had trusted Him they would have had the strength they needed, but they would not.  They became frustrated and irritated so they devised their own plan.  And because God is a gentleman, He let them.  Our God offers us a good plan, but He will not force us to take it.

In Genesis, we can find another account of the frustration in the wait.  In the 16th chapter, we find that Sarai has been waiting for several years for the son promised to her and Abram.  In desperation and weariness, she suggests to Abram that he lay with her servant Hagar and a son will come forth.  Abram did as Sarai suggested and Ishmael was born.  And oh, the heartache that developed when strife arose between Sarai and Hagar.

We know the rest of the story, that God did in fact bring forth the promised son Isaac to Sarai and Abram.  But Isaac didn't come until 20+ years after the promise was received.  

Friends, the reality is, I did the same thing Sarai did.  She began to focus on what she could see with her natural eye - she was too old to conceive according to the natural mind.  Perhaps she thought that Abram didn't hear God correctly, or that God had forgotten His promise.  She may have even thought she did something wrong and now God would not honor His promise.  These are all thoughts that our mind could entertain.  And they are not accidental!

That's right - those thoughts are there on purpose!  They come from the enemy.  His desire is to get you focused on the natural.  If you are focused on the natural, then you are not focused on the faithfulness of God.  The natural realm will cause you to believe that God is not being faithful.  Once you believe that bait, then weariness and frustration creep in.  And the downward spiral begins.  We step into our own strength, which brings minimal success, and frustration and weariness continue mount.

Is. 30:15 says that in quietness and confidence we find our strength.  To avoid frustration and weariness in the wait, we have to remain confident in God.  We have to stay focused on Him.  In Romans 4:19-21, the Apostle Paul writes about Abraham's faith:

    "And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since 
    he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb, He did not 
    waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith giving 
    glory to God and being fully convinced that what He had promised, He was also able 
    to perform." [emphasis mine]

Abraham stayed strong in faith by ignoring the natural - he did not consider his own body.  He was strengthened in faith by giving glory to God.  He was fully convinced that God would perform what He had promised.  

That's the key friends - we stay strong in the wait by giving God glory for the promise and His faithfulness.  In addition, we must keep our mind on Him all the while ignoring what the outcome looks like to our natural eye!  Is it easy - no!  But as you set your heart to focus on the faithfulness of God, you will emerge fully convinced that He is well able to perform what He has promised!  And that conviction brings an amazing amount of strength!

Strength will rise up as you wait - I promise!

Be blessed and be strong!

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"My Name Is Hope!"

"Do you know my name?" The sweet, bright voice came out of the blue while I was waiting in an express check out line at Walmart the other day. I had just finished a REALLY long shopping trip for groceries, field trip items, etc. and had somehow gotten out the door with some batteries not paid for. So, back in we went to the shortest line we could find to make things right. While I was waiting, the sweet voice came from a little girl sitting in the front seat of the cart in front of me. "Do you know my name?" It startled me slightly in a comical sort of way, but I am rarely at a loss for words when it comes to kids, so I answered her, "No, but you do. Are you going to tell me your name?" With a big smile she piped right back with, "My name is Hope!"

From there we had a silly, sweet conversation that only last 3 or 4 minutes about everything from the cool stuff she got for Christmas, to the fact that my twins' names (Esperanta and Esperancia) also mean 'hope', and that she and the twins both had sisters named Elizabeth. Hope smiled the whole time we chatted, and gave me a few moments of pure joy just from interacting with her for that short time.

When I first pulled in behind her dad's cart, I had noticed briefly that Hope suffered from some sort of illness that had kept her body from growing properly. Her body seemed to small for her big, beautiful face and her speaking ability. Once we got to chatting, I asked her and Hope told me she was seven years old. I knew for sure then that this sweet girl had a disability of some sort - but had I not been able to see her, I would have never known it at all. She had the spirit of a champion in every way - outgoing, positive, full of life and laughter - and best of all willing to share it with me.

When I came home, I told Pat about beautiful, little Hope and our conversation. As I did, I almost started to cry and realized that she had made quite an impact on me for an express checkout length conversation. The words kept ringing in my heart - "Do you know my name? My name is Hope!"As they did the Holy Spirit began to minister to me about how we are to go into this new year. We need to go into 2013 knowing the beautiful name "Hope!"

Although there many who can testify to the goodness of God manifesting in glorious ways in 2012, there are also many that faced great trials and battles last year. If they are honest, those folks were happy to see the year end as they work to regroup and move forward. From different places around the world, there were some awful tragedies that we watched on our television and computer screens that affected many of us deeply and caused us to cry out even more fervently to God for Him to move and bring revival to the nations.

Though the pain of these things is truly felt and cannot be made light of, it is of utmost importance that we never, ever lose track of of the sweet, bright voice of Hope. Even in times of turmoil, the believer must remember that when things are at their worst, God is at His best! We cannot always control the choices of people, or when and how the attacks of the enemy will come - but what we can do is take control of our souls, anchor ourselves in the Word of God, and make an intentional choice to keep our eyes on our Redeemer, knowing that no matter what - He has not forsaken us or let us go!

One of my very favorite hymns is It Is Well With My Soul. Here are just a couple of the verses.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
 
Refrain:It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.

This beautiful song was written by Horatio Spafford (1828-1888). He was a wealthy Chicago lawyer with a thriving legal practice, a beautiful home, a wife, four daughters and a son. He was also a devout Christian and faithful student of the Scriptures. His circle of friends included Dwight L. Moody, Ira Sankey and various other well-known Christians of the day. Over the course of 2 to 3 years, Mr. Spafford lost all five of his children to terrible tragedies, as well as losing most of his personal fortune in the Great Chicago Fire. He wrote the words to this hymn while he was on his way to meet his grieving wife in England after the tragic loss of his four daughters in a shipwreck.

I do not believe that any one of us would have condemned Mr. Spafford if he would have had a fit of anger, or even a time of questioning his faith after so many tragic occurences in such a short space of time. It is unthinkable to lose even one child, but all of your children? To see God bless you with great prosperity, only to see it destroyed before your very eyes? Yet instead of despair, Mr. Spafford anchored himself in the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ and wrote one of the greatest and most encouraging hymns of all time. He found the strength to trust God and say "It is well" in the toughest of circumstances.

No matter what losses we may have faced in 2012 - we must not forget that we are more than conquereors through Him who loves us! My heartfelt prayer is that you will not allow any loss, no matter how great, to cause you to lose hope in Christ. He is our everpresent help in time of trouble, and will guide us through the storm to safe haven if will contiue to place our faith and trust in Him. No matter what lies behind you, there is a future and a hope waiting for you in the arms of a loving Father. Don't ever run away... always run to Him in the time of the storm. He is your rock and your fortress forever!

Can you hear her voice now too.... "Do you know my name? My name is Hope!"

For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. Jeremiah 29:10-12

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Facing the Mirror

I was so blessed to spend some time with Ms. JudiJo Adams (our beloved founder of Inspired Woman) this past weekend. She is such a cheerleader for Christ and I'm always encouraged when I'm around her and Russ.

During our time together, I shared my excitement for my new book that just came out last week, and she said, "You should share it on Inspired Woman!" So... I'm delighted to tell you about it!

Facing the Mirror: Finding a Self to Live With addresses the age-old problem of guilt, condemnation, and insecurity that every person faces. It also has a companion workbook that is ideal for individual or group study.

In a nutshell, this book is about our righteousness in Christ.  God has a desire to save people from their sins. But that's not all... He is also raising up an army of believers who will fight the good fight of faith in these last days! And only an understanding of righteousness will empower such an army.

Too many Christians (people that are already saved) are standing on the sidelines unsure of their role in the Body of Christ. They are burdened by a lack of confidence in the promises of God toward them-- which is simply a tool of the enemy to keep them quiet and unproductive in their faith!

It's time to change all that!

This book will help people find the truth about God, about themselves (as He sees them), and about the devil and his lies.

Chapters include:

• Through the Fire and Past the Mirror

• You Be (Like) Jesus

• Changing Clothes

• Cricket Mentalities

• Qualified & Convinced

• Performance Not Required

• Awakening

• And many more!

I want to help you grow in your understanding of righteousness so you can BOLDLY fulfill what God has called you to do, therefore I've also included great BONUS CONTENT for every purchase of Facing the Mirror:

BONUS #1: I Will Ascribe Righteousness to My Maker

• This free book will be a great help to anyone desiring to learn more about righteousness! Taken straight from the Book of Job, it has a surprising answer to the question, "What about Job?"

BONUS #2: Ten Audio Teachings

• These free MP3 downloads each contain elements of our righteousness in Christ. These teachings can be studied at home, on-the-go, or passed on to a friend.

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LET'S CHANGE THE WORLD!

It starts with changing ourselves by finding a self to live with!

God Bless!

Daphne Delay

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Preparing for the Unexpected

     When our little Ezekiel decided he wanted to be in this world eight weeks early my Husband's boss at the time said something to the affect of "forget making plans because when you have kids they almost always find ways to mess them up!"  Sometimes I agree and say that this boy is no exception to the statement, but as I sit and chew on it a little while I've learned to embrace it.   We were able to make him wait two more weeks, but from the moment Ezekiel was born it has been apparent that this child has places to go, people to see, and things to accomplish.   He is BUSY!   

     As a new Momma who is blessed to be able to stay home with my boy I have to admit that like a lot of Moms I'm often Exhausted.  Toddlers are EXHAUSTING!  They interrupt your sleep schedule, they climb in the bathtub fully dressed and turn on the water when you are attempting to do your hair, they get in the toilet feet first and flush themselves while you are trying to get your shoes on, they figure out how to open the pantry door and dump bags of sugar all over the floor, they get into the laundry room and decided to swim fully dressed in the tub of homemade laundry soap, and with my boy the list goes on and on.  If I let myself go there it can affect me in a not so good way.  I'll get discouraged and think things like "I never have time to do things for myself" or "I don't have time to read my Bible because I have to clean the house during nap time", and at times I'll even get frustrated with him and think that because I had to sit in the other room and baby sit I couldn't experience and encounter Jesus at Friday night prayer.  

     The Holy Spirit had to give me a swift wake up call and show me how selfish I was acting!    

     A few days ago Ezekiel and I were sitting in the living room and he begged me to get his Bible off of the shelf and read it to Him.  I don't let him play with it because it has pages that he can and has ripped…  I got it out and opened it up and he immediately started shouting "Joshua, Joshua," so I turned to the story of Joshua and before I got to the picture of the great wall he said, "Jericho, Jericho."……………………………………………………… He's not even 2 yet, I couldn't believe He knew all of this.  He then directed me to go to the story of Goliath, Noah, and of course his favorite Daniel and the Lion's den "roooaar".   I had taken for granted the many many times that I had read stories to him over and over again.  

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.    

     I realized that I needed to appreciate the times that I am spending with my Baby, to take time to use all of those moments we have together to teach Him how to worship Jesus and allow for opportunities to let Him experience the Holy Spirit.  I can't make my Son want to love God but I can position him to be in a place where he can catch a spark of fire from the Holy Spirit.  If I don't take the time to do these thing who is going to?    

     Parents:  Children's pastors and Youth pastors shouldn't be expected to be the only ones teaching your children about the things of God.   As parents it is our job to cultivate the environment in which our child live.    Proverbs 22: 6 Train up a child in the way he should go,  And when he is old he will not depart from it.   I'm sure all of us at one time or another have caught ourselves doing things or saying things that we had seen our parents do while we were growing up.   I want to create a environment in my home that involves worship and prayer and reading the Bible because if my child grows up in that setting it will be much easier for Him to carry that into his own life.  

     Nothing gives me more joy than to see Ezekiel raise his little hand and say "Jesus, Holy"  when he hears music playing or when I tell him my head hurts without even asking him to do so he puts his hand on my head and says "Jesus………(quiet for about 30 seconds)…. Amen".

     I want to be like Timothy's mother and grandmother in 2 Timothy 1:5 whose faith was so strong it was a generational thing and passed on to Timothy.   Not that my child chooses my faith in Christ because I do, but because it come out of him from the inside.  He is my legacy… who my child is reflects on me, but even more who I am reflects on my child!   

     Jeremiah 29:11 I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future. 12Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you.13You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me! 

     I can only imagine what the future holds for my little one. What I do know is that the Lords plans for him are far greater than anything that I could ever dream up or plan!  My heart is to see him worship God and to love Him with his whole heart.  I want to see him have Encounters with Jesus from an early age.   My prayer for him is that "He will go where no one has gone before, he will do what no one has done before" and that he will see the Unexpected.    

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Christmas Traditions

Christmas Traditions 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around the Glass Ranch. The day after Thanksgiving I make the trek up the attic stairs and drag down all the boxes full of Christmas decorations to begin the task of beautifying my home for the holidays.  Decorating the day after Thanksgiving is a tradition that my parents started long ago.  Year after year they purposed to do things that would make lasting memories for my siblings and I.  Now that I have a family of my own I realize just how essential it is to create an atmosphere that not only turns the hearts of my children to home but most importantly to Jesus!  With the holiday season upon us I wanted to share some of the ways that we have built strong family ties and brought Christ into our Christmas.

• Make a birthday cake for Jesus

          We have been doing this since Riley, Rachel, and Ben were old enough to blow out the candles. 

          We sing happy birthday to Jesus and celebrate His entrance into the earth.  Now that Riley and 

          Rachel are teenagers one might think that they would have outgrown this tradition.  To the 

          contrary they look forward to it and as a bonus they do the baking!  Laughing and cooking 

          together in the kitchen is such a delight.  

• Adopt an Angel Tree child

         Each one of our children chooses a needy child from the Angel Tree at school and then blesses 

         them with gifts.  This is a wonderful opportunity to impart how Jesus loved and 

         cared for the needy and broken.

• Read the Christmas story on Christmas Eve

          We cozy up by the fire and my husband Robert reads the precious account of the birth 

          of Jesus from the Bible.

• Write an encouraging note to each family member and put it in his or her stocking. 

          It is heart warming to receive a love note from each other on Christmas morning.

• Give only three presents per child. 

          We have, from the time our children were very little, shared with them the story of the three wise 

          men that brought their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to Jesus.  By giving this way we are

          taking the focus off all the "getting" and placing it on the true reason for the season...Jesus!

• Open one gift on Christmas Eve. 

          This signifies to them that Jesus was the one true gift to the world.  

As a side note...we don't celebrate Santa....GASP!!!!  Honestly, we just never made Santa our focus during Christmas.  Our children never even thought twice about it until they went to school.  They came home telling us how some of their classmates became argumentative and upset when our children innocently told them that Santa wasn't real.  Oh my!  We had often read the true story of Saint Nicholas to them, which satisfied and answered their questions.  The modern day Santa Claus originated from these true accounts of Saint Nicholas and his good deeds.  Needless to say, they weren't too concerned by the "hubbub" at school.  However, we did tell them to kindly respect the opinions of others and to not argue about this delicate subject.  

I asked them not long ago if they felt cheated in any way by not celebrating Santa.  My oldest (who is now 14) frankly replied, "No, why in the world would I have wanted that kind of disappointment when I found out he wasn't real?"  Therein lies why I just couldn't acquiesce to the tradition of Santa.  How could I, for most of their early years, persuade them to believe in a Santa whom I knew was not real and in the same breath convince them to believe in a physically invisible Jesus who is real?  That just didn't make sense to me.  Hebrews 11:1 says "Now Faith is the assurance (the confirmation) of the things we hope for, being the proof of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses)" AMP.  I wanted Riley, Rachel, and Ben to grab hold of Jesus with all their heart while trusting and believing that what we told them was true.  

Unfortunately, many believers today buy into the world's way of doing things and then question why they live a lack-luster defeated life.  I am grateful to the Holy Spirit for showing us another way.  Simply put, we have chosen to celebrate the living Jesus and not a fictitious substitute.  

I hope that our family traditions will inspire you to bring Jesus into your Christmas.  May you have a glorious time with your family celebrating the birth of our RISEN Lord.  

Merry Christmas!  

    

       

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Symptoms of Gratefulness

Symptoms of Gratefulness…

‘Twas the morning after Thanksgiving and all through the house, not a child was stirring,not even our new dog Samson:).  I opened my eyes a few minutes before my alarm went off at 5 a.m. to hit all of the black Friday sales.  My heart was beating with excitement, 20% off, 40% off clearance items, free coloring book with a $100 toy purchase J!  

Before I got up out of bed I said a little prayer, “Father, what is Your plan for me today?”  And what to my wondering ears did I hear, “Stay home and spend time with Me.”  Are you serious?!!  Me, the one who was born to shop and get great deals, has been asked to stay home ~ away from the sales, away from the malls, away from the hustle & bustle, & away from buying more stuff. 

My husband took the children out as planned and I stayed home.  To set the atmosphere, I quickly turned on some music to keep my mind from wondering about all the great deals I was missing:)!  I turned on Andrea Bocceli’s ‘My Christmas’ CD.  I joined in and started singing with him about the birth of Christ in the Little Town of Bethlehem, with the Angels singing on that Silent Night, Holy Night.  Within a few minutes my heart began to overflow with gratefulness, contentment, joy, peace, & thanksgiving.  I was reminded of what Paul said in Colossians & Hebrews…

Colossians 4:2

Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude.

Hebrew 13:5

'Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,"'

Here are 5 Symptoms of Gratefulness:

1.    When you’re running late for work and you get a flat tire ~ 

Your heart says ‘I am grateful that I have a car to drive and my Father will supply all of my needs!’

2.    When you’ve invested a lot of time,treasure, energy & friendship in a relationship and he/she walks out on you~ your heart says ‘I am grateful for the lessons I learned and I look forward to the next friend you have for me.’

3.    When you are let go from your job unexpectantly ~ your heart says ‘Woohoo, I am grateful that God has something bigger and better in store for me!’

4.    When your plan doesn’t work out and your idea falls through ~ your heart says, ‘I am grateful that I can trust you Father with my whole heart.  Your ways are not my ways, your thoughts are higher than my thoughts!’

5.    When you have to unclog 3 toilets in one day and your husband is out of town J ~ your heart says ‘I am grateful Lord that we even have toilets… and thankful for the kids that stuff them up!’

Do a quick check up to see if you have symptoms of gratefulness.  Gratefulness is a choice!  When everyone is sending us messages that things, buying, spending, & getting make us happy… stop spending, start worshipping, give thanks, be content, and always, always, always be GRATEFUL!! 

And then i twas the night before Cyber Monday… J HA!!!

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Such as I have I give

    Our family has been living in France for the past 2 years, and when Tony decided to move here my main concern was how I going to bring up my kids in a country I know very little about?  I was homeschooling at the time and really enjoyed the home school community and activities and life etc.....  Then I realized its not really what comes from without that your children grasp most, its what comes from within.  That they actually become more of who you are, the 2.0 upgraded version.  If you love the word of God they will, if you praise the Lord they will, if you love clothes (probably applies more to girls:) she will also.  I call Juliana my little fashionista now because her love for style has grown from wanting to put doll outfits together to actually taking a couture class in school and making a beautiful skirt that I would love to wear.  What is important to you becomes important to them, even things that are left unsaid.  The process of osmosis in some things really does happen with children in some areas.  My daughters and her cousin Max have a goal  to take a trip around the world when they are in their twenties, and for the most part I believe it will happen.  If you are happy and content, they will be also, you transmit something to them, simply by being with them, and a lot of it is unspoken.  They know when you are sad, when your hurt, when you are happy or want to laugh at something but not to tell them what it is, what Peter and John said to the blind man at the temple those words hold so true- such as I have I give.  I can’t really teach my daughter a love for cooking, when people ask me if I like to cook, for the most part I respond with the answer well Tony likes to eat:)  I find what I esteem and hold as important and valuable , they are starting to do the same thing and especially my daughter, Juliana. She loves having fun, animals, funny things etc Jonathan loves music, all kinds of music,  its happening.  One of Juliana’s favorite things is to sit down and ask me all sorts of questions about the end times, the rapture of the church ,the second coming of Jesus , the antichrist etc....  At first I thought is she just trying to please me?  but it has happened enough to where I realize that this is actually something she is very curious about.  I use to look around at other mom’s and really feel like I did not measure up ( I guess that's why God's word says when you compare yourselves among yourselves your not wise) but I did want to give them the best that I could give them.  There are so many things I have never done in terms of being a home maker, I have never made a pie much less anything with pumpkin in it, as I was looking at all the delicious recipes on this site it dawned on me, I don’t for the most part even eat pumpkin pie but I know Tony loves it, and someone actually gave me a pumpkin this year so I thought I would at least try a friend’s recipe for pumpkin bars but unfortunately the pumpkin puree sat in my refrigerator too long and came to an unhappy demise.  But on the other hand my son Jonathan’s favorite food is Japanese and Juliana loves Brazilian food and will actually turn on channels in Portuguese just to listen to Portuguese.  I don’t really have many traditions for any holidays, Tony is presently in America  until December, he is the pumpkin pie guy, but as I am navigating through this journey of motherhood I really believe God entrusts each child to the parent that He knows they need. So I decided that as for the day that we actually set apart to give thanks, known as thanksgiving we will watch a movie or a play about pilgrims who came to what was  then known as the new world in search of religious freedom, and that this will be something that may be we can do throughout the years- love the story of Squanto, how he helped the pilgrims survive and learn to plant and to hunt, and that those pilgrims that actually survived the first winter, instead of sadness for those who were lost,  set 3 days apart for giving thanks that God had brought them to the new world and for the bounty that he blessed them with. So while I will not be getting any awards from Betty Crocker, I am thankful for what I have and what I can give, and for the opportunity to impart into these two  precious eternal beings such as I have, and in the wise words of Madame Blueberry (veggietales star:)  We have sung the thankfulness song many many times to stay complaining and murmuring and any other downer attitude, a thankful heart really is a happy heart  here are the words to the chorus: Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! I'm glad for what I have, That's an easy way to start! For the love that He shares, 'Cuz He listens to my prayers, That's why I give thanks everyday! 

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Turkey Pumpkin Chili

There is nothing quite like the warm aroma of chili simmering in the crock pot all day the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Especially when the ingredients calls for left over turkey and pumpkin.  If you don't have pumpkins, butternut squash or sweet potatoes will do.  I'll be honest, this was a new creation this year and my dinner guests were skeptics.  But the melody of mmm's and yummmm's was proof enough to me that it was love at first bite.  

Ingredients:

1 Large can of diced tomatoes                                               2-3 tbsp of chili powder

1 large box of vegetable broth (or chicken broth)          2 tbsp cumin

1+ cup of leftover turkey, pulled                                             2 tsp of coriander

1 small pumpkin, diced                                                              2 tsp of oregano

1 zuchini, diced (optional)                                                        salt to taste (1-2 tsp) 

1/2 red bell pepper, diced (optional)                                    1/2 tsp of cinnamon

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped                                          2-4 tbsp flour                                                                 1/2 cup onion, chopped                                                            optional toppings:  avocado, cilantro, 

2 cups of cooked lentils                                                            spring onions, sour cream, cheese

1 can of black beans
1 can of green chilies

In a crock or large pot add all ingredients together, leaving out the turkey and flour.  If you choose to simmer all the ingredients together in a crock pot, give yourself 5-6 hours, or boil the pumpkin until it is slightly tender.  Within the last hour, add the turkey.  Whisk flour in 1 cup of warm water until dissolved and add to the chili before serving.  On a stove top, add ingredients together and simmer for 1 hour and add the turkey and whisked flour at the end of the cooking process.  You can also serve it over rice, quinoa, corn bread or tortilla chips.    

                                                                                                                            

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The Infinite Pumpkin: What to Make with Pumpkin Puree

    I absolutely love everything about Fall it's my favorite season!  One of the things that I love most about fall, besides the fact that summer is gone, is PUMPKIN.  Pumpkin anything and everything! It's become a family tradition of ours to take Ezekiel to the pumpkin patch and pick out our pumpkin for the season.   Most people like to carve pumpkins and sit them outside with a candle, I like to cut up my pumpkin and make Pumpkin Pureé!

PUMPKIN PUREÉ

 
  Making Pumpkin Pureé is as easy as carving a pumpkin!   First you pick your pumpkin, some may prefer the smaller "Pie Pumpkins" but you honestly can use any pumpkin.  Remove the seeds and guts. Cut up your pumpkin into several pieces.  Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes on 350*F.  Now is the time to remove the skin from the pumpkin.  I use a spoon and scoop the pumpkin off of the skin.  At this point if your pumpkin is soft enough to mash go ahead and mash pumpkin in a bowl.  If your pumpkin needs a little more time put it in a crock pot and cook on low for and hour or two.  I add a little bit of water if the pumpkin is dry.


You can make many variations by adding spices like cinnamon or nutmeg when you are cooking the pumpkin but I usually leave mine plain because I never know what I am going to make with it and you can always add later.
Now your pumpkin is ready to Pureé!  You can use a blender or appliance of your choice.  I use a magic bullet.   I like to put my pureé in freezer bags in 2 cup quantities.  Simply for the fact that a lot of recipes use 2 cups of pumpkin pureé.

Pumpkin Pureé Recipes 

The Choices are endless just type in pumpkin recipes in Pinterest and it goes crazy!  Here are a few of my favorite.  Several I have made, a few are my friend's recipes, and some I am so looking forward to trying this year.

Pumpkin Hummus

1 1/2 c chick peas                              Directions:  Pureé all together and enjoy!

1/3 c pumpkin 

3 T   EVOO

3 T  Tahini

1 garlic clove

1/2 tsp Paprika

1/4 c water

salt and lemon to taste

Baby Food

Baby Food

     Last Fall when my son was just starting out on baby food I decided to try making my own baby food! I had so much fun and we saved so much money not having to by gerber.  

    All you need to do is put the pureé in ice cube trays and place in the freezer.  Once they are frozen store in freezer bags!   To prepare for baby's meal I would place the about I was feeding that day in the refrigerator early in the morning to thaw.  Mix with a little cinnamon and Ezekiel absolutely loved it!

Pumpkin Roll

     I usually end up making a few of these every year!  My husband begs for them!

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2/3 cup self-rising flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter or grease one 10x15 inch jelly roll pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and lemon juice.
3. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Add to wet ingredients and mix well. Spread into pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.
4. Remove cake from pan and place on tea towel (cotton, not terry cloth). Roll up the cake by rolling a towel inside cake and place seam side down to cool.
5. Prepare the frosting by blending together the sugar, butter, cream cheese and vanilla.
6. Before completely cool, unroll cake and spread with cream cheese filling and roll up again without towel. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and slice into 8 to 10 servings.

Pumpkin Pie

     I have to admit that last Thanksgiving was the first time I have made a pumpkin pie!  I used the Libby's pumpkin pie recipe...ya know the one that's on the label (except I used my pumpkin pureé) and it was no joke the best pumpkin pie I've tried.  So I am sharing Libby's recipe with you all!

 * Substitute 15 oz (approx 2 cups) pumpkin pureé for the can of Libby's Pumpkin.





3/4 cup granulated sugar1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream (optional)

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.POUR into pie shell.
BAKE in preheated 425°F. oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee/ Frappe

This one is a favorite and the best part about it is that it is SKINNY!  I have to give Peanut Butter & Peppers the credit and apparently her recipe is blowing up on Pinterest.

1 1/2 cups coffee, frozen, partially thawed
2 Tbsp. pumpkin, canned
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. pumpkin spice, ground
1 tsp. stevia
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk From a carton, not canned
2 tbsp. whip cream, fat free
1 dash cinnamon, ground

In a blender add coffee, pumpkin, vanilla, pumpkin spice, stevia and coconut milk. Blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and top with whip cream and sprinkle of cinnamon.

Pumpkin Soup

     This Yummy recipe came from my friend Sharee Schock and it is delicious!

6 Cups Chicken Stock

1 1/2 tsp salt

4 cups pumpkin pureé

1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

1 C chopped onion

1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

5 whole black peppercorns

Directions:

1. Heat Stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic and peppercorns.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.

2. Pureé the soup in small batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender.

3. Return to pan, and bring to a boil again.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered.  Stir in heavy cream.  Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

You can add ground ginger and a little ground curry to taste.  Serve with buttered French Bread!  

Pumpkin Bread

Brooke Glass' Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

Dawn White's Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/3 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1/2 cup apple butter
1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets.
2. Stir the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and salt in a bowl.
3. Beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add 1 egg and allow it to blend into the mixture before adding the other along with the vanilla. Add the pumpkin and apple butter; continue beating. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the walnuts, mixing just enough to evenly combine. Drop spoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

                                                            Mimi's Pumpkin Pie Cake

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

2 cups packed brown sugar

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups solid pack pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup shortening

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
2. Combine the oil and brown sugar. Mix in the pumpkin and eggs, beating well. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Mix well.
3. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cookies cool then make sandwiches from two cookies filled with Whoopie Pie Filling.
4. To Make Whoopie Pie Filling: Beat egg white and mix with the milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar. Mix well then beat in the shortening and the remaining cup of confectioners' sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.

*Recipe from All Recipes.com

Pumpkin Spice Fudge

First Prize Pumpkin Spice Fudge

Maple Pumpkin Rolls

This recipe came from Lauren at LaurensLatest.com.  Absolutely Amazing!!!!!

Ingredients:
for the dough– 
1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
1/4 cup melted butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
 5-6 cups all purpose flour

for the filling–                                                            for the glaze–
2 tablespoons butter, melted                                      2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup                                                  1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup packed brown sugar                                     3/4 teaspoon maple extract
2 tablespoons cinnamon                                            3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

Directions:
In large bowl, sprinkle yeast and 1/4 teaspoon sugar over warm water. Stir and proof 5-10 minutes. After yeast has foamed, stir in milk, butter, sugar, salt, pumpkin puree, and half the flour. Stir in flour by 1/2 cup increments. When you can no longer stir, remove dough to board and knead in remaining flour or until dough is similar to bread dough, slightly sticky but won’t stick to your hands. (For me, it took me about 5 minutes of kneading and I used 5 1/2 cups flour.) Lightly grease dough ball and place into a clean bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft free area in your kitchen. Let dough rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.

While waiting for dough to rise, grease 1-9×13 pan and 1 pie plate or 8×8 square dish. In a small bowl, stir maple syrup and butter together.

Punch down dough and remove to a clean, lightly greased board. Roll dough out to be 24×12 inch rectangle (approximately). Pour butter and maple syrup mixture over rolled dough and spread out to moisten entire surface. Sprinkle brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg over top dough and press down lightly. Roll dough up lengthwise to be a long, skinny log. Pinch edges of dough together. Using a sharp knife, cut entire log in half (to get 2). Cut those halves in half again (to get 4). Cut those halves in half again (to get 8 ) and then again (to get 16). Place rolls in prepared pans. (12 rolls in the 9×13, 4 in the other.) If some of the filling oozes out onto your board while cutting, scrape it off and place on top of the rolls to bake (we don’t want to loose any filling!). Cover rolls to rise again for 1 hour or until they have almost doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until top of rolls are golden brown. (Check them after 18 minutes just to be sure you don’t over bake).

While rolls are baking, whip powdered sugar, vanilla, maple extract, and milk together until smooth. Drizzle over hot rolls and serve warm.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Perfectly Pumpkin Cheesecake

                                       

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
1 cup milk
6 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, nutmeg, and a pinch of ground cloves.
In a separate bowl, stir together milk, pumpkin puree, melted butter, and egg; fold mixture into dry ingredients.
Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat; pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side; serve with butter, walnuts, and syrup.

Source: Martha Stewart Living, October 2006

Pumpkin Donuts

     Last and certainly not least, I stumbled upon this yummy recipe at Mennonite Girls Can Cook and it is a must try recipe!

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp softened butter
I cup pumpkin pureé 
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 cups white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup evaporated milk
Oil for deep frying

In a mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar and butter. Add pumpkin and lemon juice, mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and add to pumkin mixture alternately with milk.
Cover and put in fridge for 2 hours. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead 5 or 6 times. I needed extra flour to roll out the dough. Roll to 3/8" thickness and cut with a donut cutter.
In deep fryer or skillet ( I used my wok) heat oil to 375 degrees..I test to see if it's hot enough by putting a 'donut hole' in the oil and if that rises to the top immediately you know the oil is hot enough. Fry donuts, a few at a time until golden, about 3 min, turn once and remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels to soak up excess oil.

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